Arlington County, Virginia — dog shelter outcomes

The headline · 2025

≥ 96.9%

live-release rate — of every dog whose outcome was decided, ≥ 96.9% left the shelter alive (adopted, returned to owner, or transferred to rescue).

FLOOR · ≥ Virginia merges all euthanasia into one figure, so owner-requested (mercy) cases can’t be separated out. This rate is a conservative floor — the true live-release rate is at least this high.

The trend · 2021 → 2025

Above the no-kill line, every year.

Where the dogs went · 2025

3,466 outcomes decided. Here is every one.

The live-release rate is one number; transparency means showing the whole denominator — including the deaths, separated honestly by kind.

3,466 outcomes decided 3,359 left alive · 107 did not

3,197Adopted92%

145Returned to owner4%

17Transferred to rescue0.5%

96Euthanasia (undifferentiated) — merged total — owner-requested can't be separated, so the rate is a floor3%

11Died in care — a medical signal, not a choice0.3%

Bar width is proportional to count, out of 3,466 decided outcomes. 97% left alive; this is a floor — Virginia merges owner-requested euthanasia into the total, so the true live-release rate is at least 96.9% and likely higher.

By shelter · every reporting year

5 reporting shelters

Each row links to the state source.

Animal Welfare League of Arlington (Contracted Public Animal Shelter)

Year	Dog intake	Live outcomes	Euthanasia	Live-release	Basis	Source
2025	507	420	87	≥82.7%	floor	VDACS report
2024	435	391	46	≥89.3%	floor	VDACS report
2023	564	538	27	≥95.1%	floor	VDACS report
2022	662	608	56	≥91.3%	floor	VDACS report
2021	666	598	46	≥92.6%	floor	VDACS report

Lost Dog Rescue Foundation

Year	Dog intake	Live outcomes	Euthanasia	Live-release	Basis	Source
2025	1,132	1,129	9	≥98.9%	floor	VDACS report
2024	1,026	1,022	13	≥97.7%	floor	VDACS report
2023	1,155	1,209	12	≥98.0%	floor	VDACS report
2022	1,320	1,222	11	≥98.6%	floor	VDACS report
2021	1,462	1,421	13	≥97.7%	floor	VDACS report

Lucky Dog Animal Rescue

Year	Dog intake	Live outcomes	Euthanasia	Live-release	Basis	Source
2025	1,828	1,799	0	≥99.7%	floor	VDACS report
2024	1,432	1,443	2	≥99.8%	floor	VDACS report
2023	1,671	1,653	6	≥99.0%	floor	VDACS report
2022	2,081	2,054	9	≥99.3%	floor	VDACS report
2021	1,866	1,899	3	≥99.4%	floor	VDACS report

Phoenix Landing Virginia

Year	Live-release	Basis	Source
2025	—	floor	VDACS report
2024	—	floor	VDACS report
2023	—	floor	VDACS report
2022	—	floor	VDACS report
2021	—	floor	VDACS report

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of Northern Virginia

Year	Dog intake	Live outcomes	Live-release	Basis	Source
2025	8	11	≥91.7%	floor	VDACS report
2024	14	11	≥91.7%	floor	VDACS report
2023	14	14	≥100.0%	floor	VDACS report
2022	15	16	≥88.9%	floor	VDACS report
2021	15	9	≥90.0%	floor	VDACS report

Live-release rate = (adopted + returned to owner + transferred out) ÷ (live outcomes + non-owner euthanasia + died in care). Owner-requested euthanasia is excluded (Asilomar / Shelter Animals Count standard). Dogs only.

Methodology · the glass wall

What's measured

Dogs only. barkhood is a dog-handling service; cats and other species are out of scope.
Source: Virginia Dept. of Agriculture & Consumer Services (VDACS) Animal Custody Records, the mandatory state record — linked per row.
Completeness 4/5: 4/5 of the county’s reporting facilities filed in 2025; gaps are shown, not guessed.

Why this rate is honest

Euthanasia is merged — Virginia reports all euthanasia as one figure, so owner-requested (mercy) cases can’t be excluded. We publish the rate as a floor (≥), never overstating it.
Deaths are shown, not hidden — the denominator and the euthanasia figure are on the page.
Per-capita intake uses U.S. Census 2025 county population (243,931).